wexwimpy
August 9th 04, 05:29 PM
DCF's Regier's Ethics Lapses
Two top administrators in the Florida Department of Children &
Families resigned recently. Their mistake: They took gifts from
private contractors who had been awarded more than $4 million in DCF
contracts.
DCF Secretary Jerry Regier, investigators also learned, had his
birthday party hosted by a man doing $2 million in business with the
DCF. On another occasion, Regier spent the night at the man's $3
million beach home. He has used his position to buy expensive concert
tickets in luxury boxes by going through lobbyists who represent DCF
vendors.
Under his leadership, the inspector general's report found that senior
DCF administrators had inappropriate social relationships with the
DCF's contractors; state bidding requirements were skirted to award
contracts to insiders.
The ethics bar, under Regier's care since his appointment in August
2002, is so low that someone could trip over it.
It may be time he moved on -- a view shared by several legislators,
including Rep. Nan Rich, D-Weston, a member of the House committee
overseeing the DCF. "He has lost credibility with his own colleagues,
with the Legislature and with people across the board," she told The
Miami Herald. "It's very hard for him to be the head of an agency when
he has lost that trust and credibility."
While Regier blames the former administrators for the DCF's problems,
the problems seem to follow Regier. Last month, The Herald reported
that when Regier was running the Oklahoma juvenile-justice agency in
2000, the Oklahoma chief auditor found that agency had been using
other agencies to avoid bidding laws.
The Herald reported that Clifton H. Scothen, the state's chief
inspector at the time, wrote in an audit involving a $415,460 contract
with Regier's agency that agencies "appear to be circumventing the
state's Central Purchasing Act."
Oklahoma's current chief inspector, Jeff A. McMahan, is currently
conducting an audit of the agency -- including years covered by
Regier's administration -- that has been going on since November, when
it was requested by the Oklahoma attorney general.
McMahan told a reporter that he couldn't say when the investigation
would conclude, or what the probable outcome might be. "Sometimes you
have to drain the swamp to get to the alligators," McMahan said.
Gov. Jeb Bush, who appointed Regier, continues to stand by him and
said Regier's ethical lapses don't disqualify him from running the
agency. The governor's been in Florida long enough to know that people
who stand too close to alligators shouldn't be surprised when they're
bitten.
http://www.theledger.com/apps/pbcs.dll/article?AID=/20040808/NEWS/408080380/1036
Defend your civil liberties! Get information at http://www.aclu.org, become a member at http://www.aclu.org/join and get active at http://www.aclu.org/action.
Two top administrators in the Florida Department of Children &
Families resigned recently. Their mistake: They took gifts from
private contractors who had been awarded more than $4 million in DCF
contracts.
DCF Secretary Jerry Regier, investigators also learned, had his
birthday party hosted by a man doing $2 million in business with the
DCF. On another occasion, Regier spent the night at the man's $3
million beach home. He has used his position to buy expensive concert
tickets in luxury boxes by going through lobbyists who represent DCF
vendors.
Under his leadership, the inspector general's report found that senior
DCF administrators had inappropriate social relationships with the
DCF's contractors; state bidding requirements were skirted to award
contracts to insiders.
The ethics bar, under Regier's care since his appointment in August
2002, is so low that someone could trip over it.
It may be time he moved on -- a view shared by several legislators,
including Rep. Nan Rich, D-Weston, a member of the House committee
overseeing the DCF. "He has lost credibility with his own colleagues,
with the Legislature and with people across the board," she told The
Miami Herald. "It's very hard for him to be the head of an agency when
he has lost that trust and credibility."
While Regier blames the former administrators for the DCF's problems,
the problems seem to follow Regier. Last month, The Herald reported
that when Regier was running the Oklahoma juvenile-justice agency in
2000, the Oklahoma chief auditor found that agency had been using
other agencies to avoid bidding laws.
The Herald reported that Clifton H. Scothen, the state's chief
inspector at the time, wrote in an audit involving a $415,460 contract
with Regier's agency that agencies "appear to be circumventing the
state's Central Purchasing Act."
Oklahoma's current chief inspector, Jeff A. McMahan, is currently
conducting an audit of the agency -- including years covered by
Regier's administration -- that has been going on since November, when
it was requested by the Oklahoma attorney general.
McMahan told a reporter that he couldn't say when the investigation
would conclude, or what the probable outcome might be. "Sometimes you
have to drain the swamp to get to the alligators," McMahan said.
Gov. Jeb Bush, who appointed Regier, continues to stand by him and
said Regier's ethical lapses don't disqualify him from running the
agency. The governor's been in Florida long enough to know that people
who stand too close to alligators shouldn't be surprised when they're
bitten.
http://www.theledger.com/apps/pbcs.dll/article?AID=/20040808/NEWS/408080380/1036
Defend your civil liberties! Get information at http://www.aclu.org, become a member at http://www.aclu.org/join and get active at http://www.aclu.org/action.